Wish Upon A Goddess
by IssaLee
Summary: The Silver Millenium: A time when the Gods and Humans knew no bounds, and were intertwined as family. Yet it was also a time of treachery, and the lecherous lies of two jealous women.
1. Silver Millenia

:Bows to millions of goggling authors and such: I know, I know. I'm writing two fics already that have yet to be finished, and I'm thinking of a sequel for Seeing, Really Seeing. (Eh, make that finished a sequel. Just wondering when to release it.) But this just seemed too good an opportunity to pass up!

Disclaimer: Today, I learned that shimatta does not mean 'too late'. Rather it means damn it. Kuso, which I thought meant damn it, means…well, bull. Just a warning to the authors out there, that caught me…oh, and I don't own Sailor Moon.

"Mama!" The cry startled Queen Selenity from her papers. "Mama, I swear it, Mars is picking on me!"

The Queen sighed, amused. "The _Lady_ Mars, Serenity. And she is not picking on you, it is simply her way of making friends." She finished just as a small girl of about five years old poked her head through the door. She had golden blonde hair, done up in the style of the royals; bun ponytails.

"But Mama! She pulled on my hair again and said I was too stupid to be a princess!" Her sky blue eyes widened as she said the words, as if they were some sort of curse. She entered the room fully, and the Queen could see she was wearing a simple white dress, long sleeved, and with a sash tied around the middle.

"Serenity, she is merely trying not to subject herself to emotions, which I believe the Martians find are fickle."

"Findickular?" Serenity scratched at her head. "Mama, what's that mean?" Selenity shook her head.

"Nothing you should worry about. But please, do try to make friends with her! It is imperative that you should do so."

"Impy-wha?"

Selenity laughed. "Nothing, child. Listen, your cousin, the Lady Venus is coming for a visit today. Take the Lady Mars and go to the transportation gates. Be good now!" The child clapped her hands gleefully.

"Thank you, Mama!" And she rushed out of the room. A moment later she hurried back in, and tried her best to perform a curtsy, tripping over and falling at the end. She rubbed at her sore behind ruefully.

"Stupid esticky-ette." She muttered, and ran back out.

"Etiquette… My, that child certainly is naïve…" Selenity mused. "I suppose it could come to some good." And with a sigh, she returned to her paperwork.

Serenity rushed out into the adjoining hallway, where a girl wearing an identical dress but in red sulked. She had long, black hair and solemn purple eyes.

"Come on, Mama said my cousin is coming and we can go to the transportation gates!" Even the moody Lady Mars could not resist such an offer.

Children were not usually allowed by the gates, as they could cause a distraction, which could result in serious damage to the machinery or people. The gates were mainly large, ornate doorframes, each one in the color of their respective planet, design included.

The gate to Mars was red, orange, and yellow, and looked like a huge fire. Even to walk near it, you would have to feel the heat from the planet. The Lady Mars looked longingly at it, but kept her head high and walked on, proud to the last.

The gate to Venus was in the shape of a bright yellow heart, and a certain homey warmth radiated from it. Currently, it was not open, so the two girls sat down on a small, white stone bench next to it and waited.

Serenity glanced around. There was the gate of Mercury, in the form of a long ice tower. It was frigid to go near it, and Serenity shivered inwardly.

The gate to Jupiter was in the shape of a lightning bolt. Serenity smiled as she recalled several incidents where she had shocked herself when getting to close.

She frowned now as she saw the other gates, which she had never been through. They were for the Outer Planets. Neptune's, in the shape of a wave, had sprayed several with a sea mist she loved to run through.

Uranus' seemed to have wind billowing through it at all times, and was (A/N: I've paused here to think…this is, seriously, a half hour later.) the figure of a few swirls, interconnecting and seeming to glide. Serenity supposed they were wind puffs.

Then there was Pluto and Saturn. The two were rarely used, and kept far away from Serenity. She had not been told not to go there, but something kept her away all the same. Saturn's door was totally dark, shrouded in a black cloud. The gates of Pluto were normal and wooden, something which had mystified Serenity to no ends.

"The Lady Venus and her entourage!" A deep voice barked, and Serenity was snapped away from her reverie. She leaned forward eagerly as the inside of the gate seemed to swirl with a multicolored light for a moment. Then, a hand appeared, followed shortly by a leg, and then the rest of a body.

A girl who could have easily passed for Serenity's twin looked around warily. She wore a frilly yellow dress with puff sleeves, and white gloves. On her feet were two small high-heeled shoes. Behind her followed an incredibly handsome man with short blonde hair and green eyes, and a woman.

The woman, in a sense, was beauty incarnate. She seemed to possess a grace that stupefied several, and her long, honey blonde hair entranced many. She had a slim, curvaceous body and big blue eyes.

"The King and Queen of Venus, King Alder and Queen Aphrodite, also known as the Goddess of Love."

"Venus!" Serenity cried, and rushed for her cousin. The young girl broke of her examination of her surroundings and ran forward to her cousin. The two girls hugged, and the King and Queen smiled.

"Oh, Serenity, it's been so long! Is Luna still bugging you?" Serenity nodded.

"I can't believe she'll be my guardian when I'm older! What abut Artemis? I told Mama you wouldn't want a guardian, but she wouldn't say no!"

Venus smiled. "No biggie. He's here now, and I bet he'll be real happy to see Luna! Did you tell her that we were both in the library when 'it' happened?"

Serenity nodded. "She didn't believe me, but how can we knock over all those statues? They were two heavy anyways!"

"Not without the big rock you picked up and threw!"

"Hey!" Serenity shook a warning finger. "There is no rock, remember?" The two giggled, before Serenity realized she had forgotten someone.

"Oh, Venus, this is the Lady Mars. She's gonna be here for a long time, while her daddy and mommy work out some stuff with my mommy and daddy."

Venus held out a hand. "Hi!"

Mars looked at it with some distaste. "A true lady does not shake hands, she curtsies."

Venus cocked her head to the side. "And you can curtsy?" Mars scoffed, and did so.

"Any _true_ lady can do it! It's simple." Venus grinned widely.

"How's this?" And with that, she executed a perfect curtsy, and winked at Serenity, who looked baffled. "My mom and dad had me practice. Those lessons were awful!"

Serenity sighed. "It looks like the only one who can't do it is me…" Venus put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"No worries! I'll teach you before I leave! And if the Lady Mars would kindly help me?" The raven-haired child blinked.

"My mother and father said I had to be kind to you…so I suppose so." Serenity tried her best not to groan as the two girls took her hand and led her off.

The Queen and Goddess laid a hand on her husband's.

"My dear, I think it would do us good if we accepted my brother's offer." Alder looked stupefied.

"But my dear, we would almost never see our daughter! Even if Apollo has ordered such a thing, it does not have to be accepted!" Aphrodite waved a slim hand at him.

"Apollo is my brother, and I will do as he wishes. He is older, sadly, and although I will miss our dear child, she is in better hands. My sister will watch over her."

"Your—sister?" Alder stumbled over his words.

Aphrodite smiled, and he was dazzled into obedience. "Selene shall be with her always. Now come, I am sure the royals await us at this moment. We are late!"

The two stepped fully away from the gate and were led into the palace. Behind them came a white haired man with sharp (A/N: What color are Artemis' eyes? Lemme guess…) green eyes. He looked around, and sighed.

"That girl, she's always slipping away from me…" he muttered, and walked after the King and Queen.

So, what do you think? I swear it, I will work on Purest Light and Living With the Stress after this…


	2. Reunion

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon isn't mine, and neither are those Godiva chocolates I love so much.

"Is it too much to ask?" Queen Selenity looked beseechingly down at her daughter, who was pouting cutely. The girl's father, Apollo Sun God, was leaning against the wall and smiling at his daughter's antics.

"But Mama, I don't want guardians! Luna is enough!"

Selenity rubbed at her temple. "Once again, Serenity, Luna and Artemis will be guardians over all of you. The other girls will be extra precautions, and you'll get along famously with them, I'm sure!"

Serenity crossed her arms. "No! Mama, I had to wait while Venus and Mars did all that stupid curtsying stuff, and I hate it! I don't want to have more people telling me how to do it!"

Selenity frowned at the child's logic.

"The _Ladies_ Mars and Venus, Serenity, and no one will be telling you how to curtsy! Did you not take extra lessons? Besides, it seems like you made friends with the Lady Mars rather quickly!"

Serenity looked down at her feet. "Did not. She and Venus are friends, and they just pick on me."

"The _Lady_ Venus. And I thought you two were thick as thieves? Come now, one more addition to your group won't make a huge difference! The more the merrier!"

"I don't want to be merry!" Serenity protested. "I want for everyone to go away so that me and Venus can play together like we always did."

Selenity tried another tactic. "Well, Luna seems to like Lady Mars, as does Artemis. Maybe they'll like the other girls as well?"

To her dismay, Serenity stamped a tiny foot and raised her chin defiantly. "They only like her cause she's a goody two shoes! And if the others are anything like her, then I don't want them!"

"But Serenity, the other kingdoms are already on their way!" Selenity cried, frustrated. But her daughter seemed indifferent.

"Then send them back. I don't want anyone anymore! I don't need anymore people to go and show me how awful I am at everything!" The last words were shouted, and when she was finished, Serenity stood with her chest heaving and tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.

Apollo was immediately there to scoop her up in his arms and tickle her until she giggled.

"Listen, my beauty, you are not awful at anything! You're perfect! From your perfect hair to your perfect toes!" Serenity shook her head.

"But Mars and Venus can curtsy perfect and they can walk in high heels already. I'm afraid to have more people here, cause I don't want anyone to think I'm stupid."

Selenity managed a smile. "You aren't stupid, Serenity. You're very smart for your age, I must say, and of course you can't curtsy, you're only five! The Martians highly value etiquette as well as skills as a fierce warrior and sixth senses. The Venusians are a race devoted to grace and beauty, thus your cousin's actions. Doubtless the Mercurians, so intent on doing most things perfectly, and the Neptunians, the embodiment of elegance itself, will know the same thing. But you, my dear, have no reason to learn such things at such a young age, unless you would like too."

Although she had understood only about half of her mother's speech, Serenity beamed anyway. "Thanks Mama!"

Apollo kissed her head. "So you will consider it?"

Serenity put on her most solemn face, which was ruined by a bout of giggles. "I will have them. But they have to be nice!"

Selenity nodded. "Of course. Now go find the Ladies Mars and Venus. They are surely looking for you now." Serenity eagerly jumped from her father's arms and ran out of the room, forgetting once more to curtsy.

Selenity collapsed in the chair and sighed. "Thank Selene you were here, Apollo. I don't know what I would have done, had she started crying. I long to give into her every wish, and yet I know it's for her only good…"

Apollo grinned and moved over to her, gently massaging her shoulders. "My dear, it's all in how you look at it. My sisters and brothers have detected an awful end, as well as a horrifying prophecy. We cannot stop it, but the least we can do is plan ahead, no?"

Selenity agreed. "Of course. I love her to death, Apollo. I wish she hadn't to face this nightmare, and those poor girls too."

Apollo held out a hand, and she took it. The two stood and walked out, heading towards the Main Hall, where they would greet their guests.

"She will live through it, and she will be joyous in the future."

Selenity looked curiously at her husband. "I hope so. But could you elaborate?" The God chuckled.

"I think not, Selenity. Some things are better left unsaid."

"But it's not a bad thing!"

"You sound like Serenity now." He teased her. "With your whining." She blushed, much to his amusement.

"What do you expect, when you're being so cruel." She stressed the last word, and he chuckled as servants bowed and opened the door.

"Aphrodite!" Apollo called, and when the golden woman turned, he smiled. "Come greet your older brother!" She hurried to him and gave him an affectionate kiss, but not without a soft slap on the shoulder.

"Must you remind me every second? You're only older by what, a few months?"

"Four." Apollo smiled happily. "And I love it!" Aphrodite ignored the answer.

"So how is Selene, that twin of yours? She, thank goddess, is older than you. Is she still hunting? What a vile sport…"

Apollo frowned. "Selene? Did you know on Earth, they refer to her as Artemis? She hates it, but says nothing. I have not heard from her in a while. I think she is currently residing somewhere in one of the other galaxies. She enjoys visiting."

Aphrodite grinned. "Why is that so bad? It is wonderful to hear she has left stuffy Olympus. I did it, and look at me!"

Apollo didn't say anything, and Aphrodite's smile faded. "Come, brother, tell me what it is. You cannot lie, remember, God of Truth?"

He cocked his head to the side, something that he had passed on to Aphrodite, who had in turn passed it on to Venus. "I hate it when you do that. Father wasn't quite happy that I couldn't lie. He claims it's what makes a God out of a man. Selene didn't cause Mother any pain during birth, and he calls that a gift! She could only use it once!"

Aphrodite patted him on the shoulder. "Stop changing the subject and accept that father thinks that besides being in charge of the Sun and marrying a beautiful woman, you are without use. You are one of the best men I have ever known, but remember, these are only earthen bodies. When our time comes, we will die, and return to Olympus. You cannot protect your daughter forever, Apollo. Now come, what is wrong?"

Apollo fidgeted nervously under his sister's steely gaze. "If Selene is not here," he said finally, "How is she supposed to protect her patron planet?"

Aphrodite winked at him. "She has a way of working things out. And besides, she isn't Father's favorite. You know Athena is! So stop pitying yourself and get on with your life. Listen to this; Alder and I have accepted your invitation. Our daughter will train with the other girls so that they may live happily."

Apollo smiled. "This is good news indeed. Come, I think your husband has been chatting with my wife long enough." Aphrodite giggled.

"Then let us celebrate, brother! Are the other planets not coming tonight? Then tomorrow, we shall feast!"

Apollo smirked. "But the Terrans are to come tommorow. I don't think Alder is happy with the way the gawk at you."

Aphrodite flicked a long blonde tress in his direction. "Oh, come off it. Alder doesn't like anyone but him to look at me that way. Besides, weren't you trying to get that young man, what's-his-face, the Prince of Terra, to know your daughter and her new friends? They are to be good allies…"

The God nodded. "Yes, they will. But as for the meeting of my daughter…I hope to postpone that…"

"The ever protective father figure!" Aphrodite laughed, a sound that made several courtiers in the near vicinity swoon. "It is astonishing, Apollo, that we have come from drinking wine every night to cradling our children. I pity those who are still on Olympus though, for they will never know the goodness here."

"But there is also treachery." Apollo set his mouth in a grim line as his wife and Alder approached him. "And that we must keep from those we love. Alder, how nice to see you!"

The God and Goddess resumed their radiance, never letting their spouses know for a moment they had been contemplating their deaths.

I like it! Tell me what you think!


	3. Japawhat?

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own the others, especially dear Mamo-chan. He belongs to Usagi-chan…oh, and Naoko-sama.

Seven girls sat in the library, half asleep from the heat of the sun. Three of the girls, all dressed in identical plain dresses of orange, red and white, sat together, huddled in a protective group. Two others, the oldest in the room, obviously, sat away from the others. One had sandy hair, cropped to the neck, and wore trousers. The other had long, aquamarine hair, and sat with her hands primly folded in her lap.

The other two sat slightly separate from the others, with their heads bowed. One had short blue hair, and the other had brown hair tied in a ponytail.

The awkward silence was interrupted when Serenity's stomach growled. She clutched at her belly and moaned.

"I didn't have breakfast!"

The Ladies Mars and Venus rolled their eyes, but the brunette in a green dress unhooked something from her belt. Serenity's eyes brightened as she realized it for what it was.

"Cookies! Are they Jovian cookies?"

The Lady Jupiter laughed. "Yeah. I made them myself. They're really good, if you want a taste…"

She trailed off as Serenity eagerly jumped off her chair and dragged it next to the Jovian princess. She took the clear bag and removed an oddly shaped cookie, in the form of a ball and brown in color. With a sigh, she popped it in her mouth.

"Ooh…" she groaned. "This is so good! I've never tasted anything better! What's your name?"

The Lady Mars snorted. "That's the Lady Jupiter. Don't you know anything, Serenity?"

To which the Moon Princess stuck out her tongue. " 'Course I do! I just forgot, is all." She turned to the blunette and crossed her eyes, causing her to let out a short giggle.

"What's your name?" Serenity peered at her. She ignored the sigh of disbelief from behind her as the blunette looked up shyly.

"I am the Lady Mercury."

Serenity stuck out her hands, looked at them, wiped crumbs from them on her dress, and held them out again. "Will you be my friend?" Her blue eyes turned to the Lady Jupiter. "You too, but only if you make more cookies like that!"

There was only a moment's hesitation before the two girls grasped a hand firmly. Then Serenity removed another cookie from her bag, but rather than eating it, she looked over at the other two girls.

In a moment, she was standing next to them, and broke the cookie in half, revealing a center filled with chocolate chips. She held out a half to either of them.

"Here you go! My name's Serenity!"

The aqua haired girl didn't pause, and accepted the treat with a smile. "I am the Lady Neptune."

However, the boyish one was sullen, refusing to even meet Serenity's eyes. "I don't have to be friends with you." She snarled.

Serenity bit her lip. "You don't want to be?" And tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. Instantly, the girl's face softened.

"No, of course not!" But she could not stop the tears that fell in salty trails down the cheeks of the pale girl. In a desperate motion, she grabbed the cookie half and stuffed it in her mouth, motioning wildly.

"Mm! I like it, see? It's very good!" And her eyes turned solemn. "My name is the Lady Uranus. Although I do hate that title…"

"I hate the 'Ladies' thing too." Serenity sniffled, wiping at her face. "But Mama says everyone should have a name, and I can't call them just by their planets; it would be disrepectfular."

"Disrespectful…" They all glanced at the Lady Mercury, who blushed and buried her head in her arms, but the Lady Venus smiled at her.

"Thank the Gods! Someone who can understand Serenity and correct her, besides her mother." Serenity stuck her tongue out at her, and the room burst into laughter.

When it subsided, Serenity peered through golden lashes at the Lady Uranus. "So? How do you want to change the names?"

"We'd need something we would remember easily." Venus mused.

"And something that no one else would really understand…names in a different language!" crowed Venus.

"And which one could that be?" Mars asked sardonically. "Remember, all the rulers and nobles are educated in every single major language in the world."

"So we find one that is minor." Jupiter had said, at first shyly, but at the awed looks she continued more confidently. "There are some languages in countries that aren't as grand that are still being worked out. Or at least that's what my mom says."

"So we find an easy one to learn and use it!" Serenity cried happily.

"The question is, which one?" Uranus leaned back in her chair, and there was a long silence, until a certain blunette spoke up.

"Japanese."

"What?" Mars inclined her head. "Japa-what? Is that some type of drink?"

"No!" Mercury shook her head. "There is a diminutive island in the Terran sovereignty, called Japan. It is still developing, but the language is relatively unproblematic to become skilled at."

There was another hush, before Venus spoke up, voicing everyone's thoughts. "Japa-what?"

Mercury sighed. "I mean that on Terra, there is an island called Japan. They're still working out the kinks in it, but it's supposed to be easy to learn. I heard about it from my mother."

"That's settled then." Said Uranus brusquely. "But how do we learn it? And what names will we use?"

"We are in the library." The Lady Neptune looked around carefully. "And I suppose since every kingdom making a language must always send a copy of it's basic rules to the Moon Kingdom, it should be here."

"But the Terrans aren't exactly on speaking terms with the Moon right now." Uranus argued.

"Still…" Neptune stood and walked into a long aisle, reemerging a few moments later clutching a huge tome to her chest. "If someone, a lunar spy maybe, were to sneak down, I'm sure they would have found at least the basics."

"Let's find names first…" Serenity jumped eagerly up and down. Neptune flipped it open to the last few pages, and quickly found a chapter filled with Japanese names.

"I like this one…Ai…" Venus pointed to the one of the first. "Fits, don't you think?"

"No way." Jupiter shook her head. "It's too obvious. Don't pick for meaning…pick for sound…" at the looks they gave her, she smiled sheepishly. "Or both, whatever."

Mercury was the first to finish. "I'll be Ami Mizuno, but as they refer to people starting with the surnames first, it'll be Mizuno Ami."

"What does it mean?" Mars peered at the large book, and squinted as she read what Ami had written in a neat hand on a piece of paper next to it. " 'Friend of Water'? Wouldn't you rather ice?"

Mercury looked down. "There is another meaning…it also means Second beauty of Water, so I guess we could use that."

Mars smiled triumphantly. "Well, I've found mine! I am Hino Rei," she said, trying out the new backwards pronunciation. "It means 'Spirit of Fire'! I like it…"

Jupiter scribbled something down. "I think mine, Kino Makoto, means 'Truth of Wood.' It also says I can use Mako for short."

Venus waved a paper in the air. "I've got Aino Minako, Mina for short. It means 'Beautiful Little Child of Love'!"

"Someone's flattering themselves…" Uranus muttered, and they all laughed, except for Venus. She crossed her arms and pouted.

"What have you got then?" She snatched the paper and read it. " Haruka Ten'oh, 'Distant Heaven King'?"

Uranus grabbed it back. "Shut up!" But any further ranting was cut off when Neptune announced hers.

"I am 'Michiru Kaioh', Complete Ocean King'." They don't put queens in here, apparently…"

"What about you?" Venus looked at her cousin, who was staring at one line she had written. "What have you got, Sere?"

Serenity wrinkled her nose. "I don't know why, but this just seemed to leap out at me. It's 'Tsukino Usagi', which means 'Bunny of the Moon'."

There was a short pause, and then she spoke again. "Well, we all have our names. But what about the other planetary princesses?"

"They aren't here, are they?" Mars said, somewhat irritably.

'No…" Serenity shook her head. "But they should still get a name! Does anyone know them? Pluto and Saturn, I think."

Slowly, Neptune and Uranus raised their hands.

"What are they like?" Serenity, curious as always, pounced on them. "Are they very nice?"

The two girls exchanged glances. "We'd rather not say." Said Neptune, rather testily. "We've actually already thought of names."

"It should be for Pluto 'Setsuna Meioh', which means 'Momentary Dark King.' And for Saturn… 'Tomoe Hotaru', which means 'Firefly sprouting from Earth'."

"Well. Now that that's settled, let's get down to lessons now." Mercury began. "We will begin with sounds."

There was a collective groan, before the library was filed only with the sound of Mercury's voice, now steadier in the presence of those she could now call friends.


	4. Almost Dead

Ok, in answer to poisonmoon, it's not enthralling yet because of the introductory notes. In this chapter, I promise action!

Disclaimer: Can't own it, peoples…once more, I must say, Sailor Moon is not and will not ever be mine. (Wait…no, that was a dream)

"Can I have a hug?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why are you so moody?" Serenity stamped a tiny foot impatiently as she watched Uranus pace angrily around the room.

"They want me to wear…" And she stopped. Apparently, whatever she was going to say was horrible to even think about, as new beads of sweat coursed down her face.

"What? A web of spiders?" Serenity guessed eagerly. "Some weird brain-sucking thing? A thing…what is it the Terrans call it? A slate…slake…"

"Snake?" muttered Uranus absently. Serenity nodded.

"Yeah! Is it that?"

Uranus shook her head, her face ashen. "No…even worse. They're making me wear—horror of all horrors—a dress!"

Serenity took one moment to roll her eyes in a rather adult way before a large grin split her face.

"So? It's only for one night! And the Terrans are here! It's a chance to show off…and see Michiru in a dress…"

Uranus got the hint immediately. The young girl already knew of her feelings for her fellow Outer, when she was not sure of them herself. Trusting in her future ruler, she nodded.

"Fine. But only for tonight!"

Serenity did not hear. She was opening the balcony doors and past them. Uranus followed quickly, and found the Moon Princess gazing almost adoringly at Terra.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

Uranus scowled. "That awful war-ridden planet? It serves for nothing more than to be a pestilence in our existence."

"Pesti-what?" Serenity mumbled vaguely.

Uranus sighed. "The point is, I don't understand what it is you seem to find so fascinating about the awful place. All it seems to do is let those Terrans run amok and kill themselves over and over again, always trying to gain the upper hand."

"But isn't that kind of like what we do?" Serenity was now looking at her, wide eyed in curiosity. "Mother says we must always be above them, always be better than the Terrans. But when she says it…I don't know, but it sounds like she doesn't mean it."

Before Uranus could think up a reply, a flash outside caught their attention. Both heads swiveled in the direction of the light.

Floating just above the moon's surface, a large star burst over and over again. After a moment, Uranus and Serenity realized that only the core of the star was exploding. In a moment, it had split into two. The lights suddenly dimmed, and the halves began to fall.

One half swerved suddenly, as if it were being controlled, and headed towards Terra. The other half made its way steadily towards the moon kingdom.

"No!"

Serenity's shriek of fear startled Uranus from her reverie. Without another thought, she grabbed the young girls hand and practically flew out of the room. She raced to the end of the hall, and opened the door quickly.

The five girls inside looked back at her, surprise evident on their faces. They had all apparently seen the star, and had apparently been watching it through the window.

"Don't just stand there!" bellowed Uranus. "We have to get the Queen! That star chunk could kill us all!"

Neptune immediately took action. "Right. Mina, Mako, Ami and Rei, secure Usagi inside of a room. Uranus and I will go to alert the King and Queen."

"What if you don't get there in time?" Makoto whimpered slightly. (A/N: Remember, the inners are all five years old, and the Outers are ten.)

Uranus and Neptune exchanged a glance, but it was Serenity who answered. She seemed amazingly calm, considering their situation and her age.

"We shouldn't think about that. Pray Selene they find Mother and Father soon enough. Go!"

Her tone was regal, and a direct command. The Outers sprinted away, leaving the Inners to watch over their princess.

"She will be a good ruler."

Neptune glanced over at Uranus, who had spoken, and a soft smile lit her face. "You realized this only now? In a matter of moments, she brought together six young girls who had previously thought to steer clear of each other."

Uranus flushed as they rounded the corner and ended up in front of huge, wood double doors. As she pulled them open, she muttered,

" You didn't have to phrase it quite so evilly…"

But then the doors were opened, and every head swiveled towards them. They had not been announced, and were not allowed in for another hour or so. Uranus raised an eyebrow as she saw the Terran Court sitting next to the Queen, but Neptune nudged her, and the Wind senshi grudgingly turned her attention elsewhere.

"There is a fallen star heading straight for the castle!"

The Queen rose, followed almost immediately by the King. Apollo exchanged a quick glance with Aphrodite, sitting across from him, before he looked at Uranus.

"And where is our daughter? And all her friends?"

"They have been secured." Neptune spoke with an inner strength. "We ordered the Inner Planetary princesses to hide The Princess Serenity and make sure she is safe. For now, we will watch over her, but your attention must be turned to the star."

If Neptune had uttered such a direct command in any other event to the Royals, she would have been killed on the spot. Instead, Selenity nodded.

"You have done well in your first duties." The Outers' eyebrows arched, but nothing more was passed between them. "Is this all?"

"No." Uranus answered. "The other half, as the star was split, is heading for Terra as we speak."

There was a great noise at this, but Selenity held up a hand for silence. "No more. We shall do as much as we can to slow the star from hitting Terra, so that we may rid the Moon from it's star first, then the second."

"What?" The King of Terra, (A/N: I actually put Bob here a few times, but here's his real name…) Basil, stood up and cried. "Why would you save your own planet first, then ours second? This is a plot!"

Selenity seemed to ignore him, instead she chose to sweep away from the hall with Apollo at her side. She walked quickly up the steps, and in passing the Outers, whispered, "You did well."

Glowing with pride, the two ran off to make sure their princess was safe. They found her standing on a balcony, with the Inner senshi fluttering nervously by her.

"Why aren't you hiding?" Uranus cried, and Serenity turned to her.

"If the star hits, the castle isn't going to protect me much, is it?" Uranus swore under her breath, but hushed as the door opened.

A boy of about ten walked in tentatively. He had luminous sapphire blue eyes, and a tousled head of raven black hair. Behind him came four more boys.

One had shaggy, short blonde hair that swept into his eyes. He brushed it back impatiently, and his blue-gray eyes seemed to radiate superiority.

Another had long brown hair and piercing green eyes. He was rather built for someone of his age, and seemed older than the raven-headed boy.

The next boy also seemed older, and had long, white hair. He had gray eyes and immediately after entering the room, he shut the door and surveyed their surroundings as if checking for enemies.

The next seemed as old as the first and second, and winked impishly at the girls when they were all assembled. He had cropped blonde locks, and shining blue eyes. Serenity eyed him carefully, before jumping into his arms.

"Cousin Jade!"

In a moment, the Outers had checked the never before felt instinct to protect and kill the boy, and the Inners had let go of Serenity's robes as soon as she had shouted. Mars spoke first, sniffing at the boy.

"You know him, Serenity?" She was careful not to address the princess with their secret nicknames, and the others quickly got the hint.

"Yeah!" Serenity nodded eagerly. "This is my cousin Jade. Father had a mortal sister, and she gave birth to him on Terra. I haven't seen him in ages!"

"My full name is Jadeite." He stopped hugging Serenity, and the senshi relaxed. Slightly. Jadeite bowed. "I am upset that Sere hasn't talked about me so much that you would recognize me right away."

Practically bouncing, Serenity grabbed his hands and introduced her friends, ignoring the glares she received as she named them. But she was not stupid. She revealed only what was necessary.

"This is the Lady Mars, and Lady Jupiter, and Lady Venus (Here she stopped, as Venus eyed him carefully and broke out into a grin. "That's right! You helped me plan that thing with the library bookshelves! When they toppled, it was the coolest thing!") and the Lady Mercury, and Lady Uranus, and Lady Neptune!" She stopped and peered over his shoulder. "Who're your friends?"

Jadeite ruffled her hair and as she squealed, gestured to the individual boys. "This surly white haired boy is Kunzite. The one who's really dreamy and has the brown hair is Nephrite. The blonde female is Zoicite."

"I'M A GUY!" screamed Zoicite, quickly confirming any suspicions that this was an over used joke. Jadeite, however, did not seem fazed, and instead turned to the final boy, the raven-head.

"And this, this is our Prince, the one we are sworn to protect, Endymion, Prince of Terra."

He held Serenity's hand and drew her forward, as she cocked her head to the side slightly.

"Guys, this is Serenity, Princess of the Moon."

Serenity smiled, as did the boys. "Nice to meet you all, but I want to see what happened with the star!"

In all the excitement, the danger had been forgotten, and now they all crowded onto the balcony, watching the scene down below.

Queen Selenity was concentrating on something floating above her. Besides Apollo, no one stood less than five yards away from her. Spinning gently in place, the senshi and boys could make out the form of the second star half.

"That's the ginzouishou…the crystal that has brought all planets together in the Silver Alliance, creating the Kingdom of Luster."

Mercury's voice carried a twinge of awe, and the children watched eagerly as the ginzouishou rose with the Queen's hands, towards the approaching star.

There was a burst of bright light, and everyone was blinded for a moment. When the light subsided enough for them to see, Apollo was holding onto Selenity as she released the rest of her power on, terrifying strike.

The star imploded, and all but two large chunks blew into smithereens. One chunk went unnoticed by others, flying towards the other side of the moon before anyone could see it. The other headed behind the Royal court, to the castle, where the only people still in its path were the children gathered on the balcony.

"SERENITY!" The Queen screamed the name, and all heads turned. The Queen of Earth, Airlia (A/N: It means ethereal…you'll see why later on.) shrieked as she saw her son amongst the many faces.

There was a moment when Serenity was sure she wouldn't have moved. There was something in the star pieces…something malevolent, and it called to her, screaming in her ears. It was broken, it said, but its lust to kill would soon fix that.

She could feel the senshi fall as the power in the star overwhelmed them, as did the boys. Her heart pounded as the star moved closer. It wanted her, and only her…

"Serenity! MOVE!"

Someone had caught her around her waist, and they flew over the balcony. Serenity gazed into the eyes of her rescuer, the Prince Endymion. He hugged her close as they fell, and both of them shut their eyes tight.

The star hit the castle walls with a resounding BOOM! But the other boys had taken their leader's actions into thought and grabbed a senshi, jumping off after him. Uranus and Neptune were way before them.

And so, the parents watched as their children fell, weak and unable to do anything.

That is, until several divine hands decided to step in.

Alala and Ares, god and goddess of war and rulers of Mars sent out a large and fiery amount of power, creating a crater in the ground.

Anteia, Queen of Neptune, hugged herself as her husband, Poseidon, immediately filled the crater with water.

Hermes, King of Mercury, untangled himself from his wife, Metis, and slipped on his winged sandals. In a moment, he was standing next to the water filled crater.

The children realized their parents were trying to save them, but it looked rather hopeless as they fell, faster and faster, soon catching up with Endymion and Serenity. They had jumped off the highest balcony in the palace.

Survival was not guaranteed.

Kairos was the ruler of Jupiter. It was said that Zeus Himself was her consort, but she did not deny nor agree with these accusations. She had no king, and yet bore many children, none of them gods. The Lady Jupiter, her firstborn and Royal Highness of Jupiter, was the only child with powers.

Now she joined Hermes beside the crater, her eyes trained on her daughter and the boy who held her.

The King of Uranus, Urian, and his wife, Jeno, were from a planet that believed in strength as much as Jupiter's or Mars'. They were both sturdy and well trained, and had moved next to the crater also.

Poseidon produced his trident, and the water rose up, making several fists. One grabbed Nephrite and Jupiter.

Kairos held out her arms as the fist splattered, drenching those nearby and dropping its occupants. She smiled as her daughter hit her arms, still cradled by the brown-haired boy.

The next fist dropped Venus and Kunzite into the arms of Jeno, who grinned as she realized Venus was giggling, more out of relief than anything else.

Urian caught his daughter and the Lady Neptune. Both of them immediately sat up and watched the rest of the people falling, trained as they were to know as soon as they could walk that the life of the person you're protecting is more important than your own.

Mars and Jadeite were soon nestled together in Hermes' strong support. There was a problem, which no one but Apollo seemed to notice…

Four children…and no parents…

With a quick curse, he dropped his wife in the support of Alala, and grabbed his brother, Ares. The two ran swiftly to the craters side, just as the fists holding the remaining children burst.

Apollo let go of his brother's hands and did the unthinkable. In a wild maneuver, he grasped for his daughter, but instead saw the Lady Mercury's face staring back at him. It was only when he was on the other side of the crater did he realize that he had leapt across, grabbing Mercury and Zoicite in midair.

There was a lull, before a loud splash was heard behind him. Ares had tried the same thing with to catch his niece, but in the hand had only grazed her. The two were in the water.

"NO!"

Apollo cried, as he dropped the children from his hold and ran towards the water, but Poseidon beat him to it, as did Hermes.

Light…and colors…and him… 

_The bubbles escaped her mouth quickly, and she regretted instantly her effort to scream as water rushed into her mouth._

_A moment later, Endymion had grabbed her hand. They had been separated when they hit the water, but he found her now._

_He was losing air as well. The last thing she saw was the blue in his eyes, dimming slowly, but his grip never loosened._

Apollo was ready to jump in himself when the two gods emerged, dripping but holding a wet bundle each.

"Praise Zeus!" He cried, rushing to his daughter and showering the pale face with kisses.

Selenity, weak from her use of the ginzouishou, watched anxiously. Parents gathered around their kids, but all stopped as the two families, Terran and Lunar, examined their children.

"They are alive!" Exclaimed Hermes, and a great cheer arose. "Alive but in need of bed rest. Praise Zeus Prince Endymion here was able to grab our Princess, else all our offspring may have perished."

There was a moment of silence, before the Terran King Basil spoke up. "My King Apollo, and my Queen Selenity, I owe you a great apology. I realize now that had we not destroyed the star half heading for the Moon, we would have all departed this life. I thank you, and I believe I and my court will enter the Alliance to create the Kingdom of Luster."

"Praise Zeus…" Selenity breathed. "I accept your offer."

The now sorely tired people nursed their offspring, as healers emerged from the undamaged section of the castle to help those in need.

For now, the news that the second star half had hit Terra would have to wait.  



End file.
